The production of fabric-backed wallcoverings has materially increased in recent years. The increase in volume is attributed to the ease of application of these wallcoverings to the wall as well as the ease in removal thereof. Additionally, fabric-backed wallcoverings have proven popular because they are easily cared for and maintained.
As the popularity of fabric-backed wallcoverings increased, so did the consumer's demand for more diverse patterns and variety. As a result, manufacturers have, more recently, attempted to produce wallcoverings having deeper and clearer color and in a variety of patterns. These newly introduced designs have also proven successful and wallcovering manufacturers are now attempting to develop even more attractive and durable products.
One product which has not proven to be easily produced is a metallic and flocked wallcovering. This difficulty of production is apparently due to the fact that conventional laminated wallcoverings do not have the thermal stability to allow the fusion of a plastisol flock adhesive thereto, which fusion requires a temperature of about 275.degree. C. Attempts to fabricate such products have resulted in curling, wrinkling and delamination of the product within seconds after reaching this fusion temperature. Wallcoverings produced by adhesively bonding preformed films directly to the fabric backing, on the other hand, are more expensive because such films cannot be as heavily loaded with pigment as is required, because of conditions of their manufacture. Additionally, the adhesion lamination technique does not enable the film to be locked onto the fabric and delamination can occur.